those who are new, or been using NAP system for a while, will notice that it's brief, and not full invocations to various things.

I have been using full invocations. I received this middle pillar ritual from somewhere, I cant remember where, but I dont take credit for this, But it works quite well in my NAP invocations.

Middle Pillar Ritual

The goal of the Middle Pillar Ritual is to open up your major energy centers (chakras), and then raising and circulating as much energy as possible.

The chakras run up and down the middle pillar of the Tree of Life, and relate to specific points on the body.

[*The Mûlâdhara Chakra is considered to be at the base of the spine—which is fine when sitting down, but the Golden Dawn interpretation is that this chakra moves down to the feet when standing. Also, there are no traditional Golden Dawn God names associated with either Ajna or Manipura. I like the sound of Ajna when working on the third-eye chakra, but you may change “Ahj-na” to a Hebrew God name if you are desperate for consistency. ]

I downplay the visualization of the traditional colors. This is not to say visualizing each sphere as a specific color isn’t useful, but only that it can be distracting to sensing the actual energy.

Not everyone visualizes, feels, or senses the chakras in exactly the same way. Some people will see and feel the chakras, while others will get only the vaguest sense of their presence.

You may also add or remove chakras as you actually feel or sense them. You may wish to add a chakra for your knee level, or one right at the sternum (in between Anahata and Manipura). Bindu, on the upper back of the head, is another commonly used Eastern chakra, that is rarely used in Western chakra work.

For success, just assume the chakras are there while you repeat the chants. Your experience of each energy center will grow with time.

Part I: Awaken the Chakras

Step 1

Stand straight. You may use your hands to touch where each chakra should be if that helps your visualizations. Visualize a brilliant source of energy glowing just at the top of your head (or just above your head). It can be quite large, spreading out over your face and neck, as high above your head as you feel comfortable.

Chant: “Eh-Heh-Yeh.”

Continue chanting at least 3-5 times, but continue as long as you like, until you are satisfied that chakra feels like it has been awakened.

Eh-Heh-Yeh is a God name that means “I am.” The Hindu’s call this chakra the Sahasrâra and is known as the “thousand-petaled lotus.”

Step 2

Imagine a stream of white light searing downward from the center of your Sahasrâra chakkra, down the center of your forehead to your “third-eye” area.

Imagine this chakra to start glowing brighter as you repeatedly chant: “Ahhj-Na.”

Ajna means “command.”

Hindu representation of Ajna

Step 3

Imagine the stream of white light continuing from Ajna down to your throat chakra known as, Vishuddha.

Chant: “ YHVH Elohim.”

YHVH Elohim means, "The Lord God."

In Tantra, Vishuddh is known as the “ 'poison and nectar' chakra, which is closely related to the Bindu chakra, a chakra on the back of the head, which is said to produce “Bindu fluid” which turns into the nectar of immortality or the poison of death. Continue chanting until you are satisfied with the “openness” of this chakra.

Step 4

Imagine the white stream of light continuing from Vishuddha, down to your chest and heart area, known as the Anahata chakkra. This is a big, powerful chakra. Imagine it very large, glowing out even past your shoulders.

You may go back and repeat the chant for any chakras you wish. When you feel each chakra is as good as it’s going to get, then go onto the next step.

Part II: Circulate the Light

Step 1:

Imagine your Sahasrâra chakra giving birth to a ball of white light. You will control this “imaginary” ball of light with your breathing. You may use your hands and arms to help orchestrate the energy.

Step 2:

Take a breath, as you blow out the exhalation. Start by imagining the ball of light traveling from a spot above your head, and down the front of you in a circular fashion, to end at your feet. Then breathe in, as the ball of light travels behind you in a circular fashion above your head.

Your breaths do not have to be complete full inhalations/exhalations for this. In fact light, rhythmic breathing is all that is needed to control the very subtle light field you have created with you imagination.

"I suck at this! Please help!"

The hardest part about this exercise is not visualizations, but simply the concentration. This is not a difficult task by any means, but just to stay focused on the ball of light for very long can be a challenge to newcomers. That’s why don’t go too fast. Stay at step two until you actually enjoy doing it and it’s very easy and natural.

Step 3:

Repeat Step 2, but in reverse, i.e. imagine a ball of light traveling behind you from above your head to below your feet with every exhalation, and up in front of you back above your head with every inhalation. It doesn’t matter so much if you exchange inhalations for exhalations either. The key is rhythm and concentration.

Step 4:

Breath in, visualize the ball of light traveling down your right side in a circle, from above your head to down below your feet. When you inhale the ball continues up your left side to above your head. Do this rhythmically at your own tempo. Remember light breaths are just as good as large ones if that’s working for you.

Step 5:

The same as step 4, but reverse the direction. Once this is fun and easy you can move on.

Step 6.

Experiment with other orbits. Do “diagonal” directions, for example.

You can even do “hula-hoop” style, i.e. around your belly or hips, but try sending the light out very far from you, even past the ends of your room. When you get more comfortable you can imagine the light spinning all around the Earth and back and however else you see fit.

Stay at this step until you can do it for several minutes and suffer no mental fatigue, and then go onto the next section.

Part III: The Fountain of Light

Step 1:

Start with a huge ball of light at your feet. As you inhale, Bring the light from your feet directly up the center of your body into your Sahasrâra chakra above your head.

Step 2:

Exhale when the light reaches your Sahasrâra chakra, spraying out like a fountain and cascading down and around your body back to the ground.

Step 3 :

Inhale again, pulling the light that has scattered into the ground back into your feet, where once again it travels to the top of your head.

Step 4:

Exhale as the light explodes over the top of your head once again, cascading down around you.

Continue this process for as many cycles as you like, at least 3-10 times, or as much as you can handle. Many of these exercises are so powerful that you might feel “high” or light-headed after doing them.

Part IV: Channel the Light

Once you’ve nearly climaxed with the previous section, it is time to do something with all that energy.

If you are doing a healing ritual for yourself or others, you would channel it directly into the area of the body that needs the light the most.

If you were charging a talisman you would send the light into the material basis.

If you are doing this ritual as a standalone exercise, you will practice by channeling the energy back into yourself for general health and beauty:

2.As you slowly exhale, imagine the energy flowing from your chest down your arms and hands.

3.Touch your hands to your face, rubbing them back over the top of your head. Imagine the white, healing energy washing over you like a shower or waterfall.

4.Rub your hands sensually over your arms and chest, and even your over your legs and feet, as you imagine the refreshing energy dripping down over your entire body.

5.When you’ve exhausted your exhalation, stop, stand straight, and make the Sign of Silence. You are done.

Please note that there are many types of yoga, and many ways of working with the chakras. The Golden Dawn skipped two important chakras for example (Ajna and Manipura), and there are others used in Tantra that we aren’t specifically using here, such as the Bindu chakra on the back of the head.

The importance of this ritual in magick is to do a reasonable job of opening up your major chakras and raising as much energy as possible. The ritual given here strikes a good balance for chakra work, but if you are advanced in some other form of yoga or Tantra, you can substitute your own chakra-working for the Middle Pillar ritual.

that should help in your NAP. Some of you dont think it's necessary to do all of this, stick more to the book.. But it works and it makes NAP results quicker, and sometimes big orders quicker.. Full on evocation of the spirit is the best result

It evokes the Goetia, and Shem spirits, and many other planetary spirits as well. But since this is also a Elongated ritual of the NAP's bornless ritual.. it gives results.. Mr. Cobb directed this book more to housewives, it wasnt more geared to hermetic and esoteric magicians

The Bornless ritual: Even for NAP you can Ad-Lib the Thelema parts if Thelema is not your thing:

THE PRELIMINARY INVOCATION OF THE GOETIA(NOTES FROM LIBER SAMECH)by Aleister CrowleyHEKAS HEKAS ESTI BEBILOIThe OathThee I invoke, the Bornless One.Thee, that didst create the Earth and Heavens.Thee, that didst create the Night and the Day.Thee, that didst create the Darkness and the Light.Thou art RA-HOOR-KHUIT, Myself made perfect,whom no man hath seen at any time.Thou art IA.BESZ, the Truth in MatterThou art IA-APOPHRASZ, the Truth in MotionThou hast distinguished between the Just and the UnjustThou didst make the Female and the Male.Thou didst produce the Seeds and the FruitThou didst form Men to love one another, and to hateone another.I am (motto) thy Prophet, unto whom Thou didst commit ThyMysteries, the Ceremonies of Khem, (Thelema or your particularmagical discipline.)Hear Thou Me, for I am the Angle of Nu, Angel of Had, Angelof Ra-Hoor-Khu: (or the divine names of your tradition) Theseare Thy True Names, handed down to the Prophets of Khem(or as above).

(Pass widdershins [counter-clockwise] to East.)-~AIR-(Make equilibrating Pentagram ofSpirit Active; see Appendix.)EHEIEH(Make the Sign of the Rending of the Veil; see Appendix.)(Make invoking Pentagram of Air, see Appendix.)IHVH(Give sign of Shu; see Appendix.)Hear Me:AR ThIAO RHEIBET A-ThELE-BER-SET A BELAThAABEU EBEU PhI-ThETA-SOE IB ThIAOHear me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me; so that everySpirit of the Firmament and of the Ether; upon the Earth andunder the Earth, on dry land and in the Water; of WhirlingAir, and of rushing Fire, and every Spell and Scourge of Godmay be obedient unto Me.

(Pass widdershins to South.)-FIRE-(Make equilibrating Pentagram of Spirit Active.)EHEIEH(Make the Sign of the Rending of the Veil.)(Make invoking Pentagram of Fire.)ELOHIM(Give sign of Thoum-aesh-neith.)I invoke Thee, the Terrible and Invisible God: who dwellest inthe Void Place of the Spirit:AR-O-GO-GO-RU-ABRAO SOTOU MUDORIOPhALARThAO 000 AEPEThe Bornless One.Hear me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me; so that everySpirit of the Firmament and of the Ether; upon the Earth andunder the Earth, on dry land and in the Water; of WhirlingAir, and of rushing Fire, and every Spell and Scourge of Godmay be obedient unto Me.(Pass widdershins to the West.)

-WATER-(Make equilibrating Pentagram of Spirit, Passive.)AGLA(Make the Sign of the Closing of the Veil.)(Make invoking Pentagram of Water.)EL(Give sign Auramot.)Hear Me:RU-ABRA-IAO MRIODOM BABALON-BAL-BIN·ABAOT.ASAL-ON-AI APhEN·IAO I PhOTETh ABRASAX AEOOUISChUREMighty and Bornless One!Hear me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me; so that everySpirit of the Firmament and of the Ether; upon the Earth andunder the Earth, on dry land and in the Water; of WhirlingAir, and of rushing Fire, and every Spell and Scourge of Godmay be obedient unto Me.(Pass widdershins to the North.)

-(EARTH-(Make equilibrating Pentagram of Spirit, Passive.)AGLA(Make the Sign of the Closing of the Veil.)(Make invoking Pentagram of Earth.)ADONAI(Give sign of Set.)I Invoke Thee:MA BARRAIO IOEL KOThA AThOR-E-BAL-O-ABRAOT.Hear me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me; so that everySpirit of the Firmament and of the Ether; upon the Earth andunder the Earth, on dry land and in the Water; of WhirlingAir, and of rushing Fire, and every Spell and Scourge of Godmay be obedient unto Me.(Pass widdershins and return to Square of Tiphareth.)(Make equilibrating Pentagram of Spirit Active.)EHEIEH(Make the Sign of the Rending of the Veil.)(Make Sign of the Sun and Moon Conjoined.)(Give Signs of LVX.)Hear Me:AOT ABAOT BAS·AUMGN. ISAK SA-BA-OT.(Fall prostrate in adoration.)This is the Lord of the GodsThis is the Lord of the UniverseThis is He whom the Winds fear. This is He, who having madevoice by His commandment is the Lord of all Things: King,Ruler and Helper.Hear me, and make all Spirits subject unto Me; so that everySpirit of the Firmament and of the Ether; upon the Earth andunder the Earth, on dry land and in the Water; of WhirlingAir, and of rushing Fire, and every Spell and Scourge of Godmay be obedient unto me.

-~SPIRIT-(Make equilibrating Pentagram of Spirit, Passive.)AGLA(Make the Sign of the Closing of the Veil.)(Make Sign of the Sun and Moon Conjoined.)(Give Signs of LVX.)Hear Me:IEOU PUR IOU PUR IAOTh IAEO IOOU ABRASAXSABRIAM 00 UU AD-ON-A-I EDE EDU ANGELOS TONThEON ANLALA LAI GAIA AEPE DIATHARNA THORON.(Resume Standing.)I am He! the Bornless Spirit! having sight in the feet:strong, and the Immortal Fire!I am He! the Truth!I am He! who hate that evil should be wrought in the World!I am He, that lighteneth and thundereth!I am He, From whom is the Shower of the Life of Earth!I am He, whose mouth ever flameth!I am He, the Begetter and Manifester unto the Light!I am He, The Grace of the Worlds!"The Heart Girt with a Serpent" is my name!Come thou forth, and follow me: and make all Spirits Subjectunto Me so that every Spirit of the Firmament, and of theEther, upon the Earth and under the Earth: on dry Land, or inthe Water: of Whirling Air or of Rushing Fire, and every Spelland Scourge of God may be obedient unto me!lAO: SABAOSuch are the Words!

This will still work for NAP, But Still, theres nothing like full on evocation of the Desired spirit with the sigil and seal in hand. Of course you can medium with a shewstone or black mirror the NAP invocation, they will appear, but you have to chant the invocation. It worked for me, See how it works for you. Let us know.

The Middle,or Central, Pillar Ritual was created to charge/balance the Sephirah, not the chakras. They are not equal or interchangeable. If you want to balance the chakras, do a ritual for that, but you can't introduce chakras into the middle pillar, it's like a mixed metaphor.

did u find any resources with visual descriptions (images) of the gestures that accompany the bornless invocation, and if so where

"Your world is coming to an end. Do you think that the world you have known all your life is going to leave you peacefully, without any fuss or muss? No! It will wriggle underneath you, and hit you with its tail." C.C

hecate8 wrote:The Middle,or Central, Pillar Ritual was created to charge/balance the Sephirah, not the chakras. They are not equal or interchangeable. If you want to balance the chakras, do a ritual for that, but you can't introduce chakras into the middle pillar, it's like a mixed metaphor.

It's called syncretism, love. The greatest magicians of all time have been syncretists. Take what works, and leave what doesn't, that includes bits and pieces of a particular ritual.

A bit like telling a Christian who doesn't believe in the persecution of homosexuals a hypocrite. A man has to take what has meaning to him from this world's philosophy and make it work for him.

hecate8 wrote:The Middle,or Central, Pillar Ritual was created to charge/balance the Sephirah, not the chakras. They are not equal or interchangeable. If you want to balance the chakras, do a ritual for that, but you can't introduce chakras into the middle pillar, it's like a mixed metaphor.

It's not a new practice to locate sephirah in body parts. Microcosm/ Macrocosm and all that. See Sefer Yetzirah.

Sometimes one needs to dis-Regardie the Victorian era, eh?

The Headless/ Bornless One is useful for all kinds of things.

Besides, what's a Sephiroth? One is warned in the literature that introduced them to the world, not to take them as literally real. So, what are you balancing if not yourself?

Gestures to accompany the Bornless ritual can be found in Magic of Aleister Crowley page 150.The Golden Dawn, who syncretised all sorts of systems and were aware of the chakras chose not to include them in the middle pillar, and I assume they had a good reason. My reason would be that you would end up balancing neither.

I think any assumptions about the correctness or incorrectness of whatever was going through the founders of the GD's minds is fruitless ... sort of like a lot of the things that have been propounded by those same folks. Let's face it, whatever good can be said of the GD, Mathers simply made shit up to sound all important. It's part of what led to the breakup of the organization, after an internal working group was formed to get to the bottom of the cipher manuscript and to find Frau Sprengel. Hint ... she didn't exist, and Mathers, Waite, et al made shit up.

There's much of interest in the GD workings, but certainly I wouldn't let oneself be hindered just cuz that's not how Mathers, or Crowley did it.

In fact, the gestures you speak of are simply created. Not that they aren't effective, but they didn't accompany the ritual in its original form in the PGM. So, by the logic that if something was effective, it would've been in the original. Well, you'd have to completely disregard all the gestures, and you'd have to toss out all the changes made by Crowley. In fact you'd have to toss out all of Crowley. I mean really, if you're worried about the correct use of the Headless One ritual, what do you do with all the changes to the names of power, made by Crowley?

And, lest we forget, Crowley told the GD to go toss. So, where does that leave us?

Hell, to be truly trad ... we'd be stuck with cave paintings.

Don't worry about what's "right" ... it'll just hinder you from what works.

Most of the GD is a syncretic hodgepodge created out of whole cloth from old MS by Mathers. All of the supposed kabbalistic connections to the tarot ... made up. All of Crowley's kabbalistic interpretations of the PGM, and other old rituals? Made up.

Still worked.

Why sweat it? If someone can successfully balance their non-physically existent arrangement of non-physically existent energy centers in a non-physically existent energy body with a ritual that predates the victorian era by 1500 some-odd years why does it matter what a bunch of long dead british guys would think?

I'm just saying I find the NAP instructions as written simple and effective. The one and only time I tried introducing chakras into the middle pillar, I found it to be very disruptive. If you want to rewrite the NAP, if it works for you, go right ahead. Just trying to share what works for me.